


Nineteen Candles

by CubbieGirl1723



Series: This Is Us [5]
Category: Veronica Mars (TV), Veronica Mars - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Gift Fic, Missing Scene, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, discord drabble expanded
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-14
Updated: 2020-09-14
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:40:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26452753
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CubbieGirl1723/pseuds/CubbieGirl1723
Summary: Logan takes Veronica out for her birthday the summer before they start college. Set in the Reclaiming Normal universe.
Relationships: Logan Echolls/Veronica Mars
Series: This Is Us [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1482185
Comments: 10
Kudos: 30





	Nineteen Candles

**Author's Note:**

  * For [His_Beautiful_Girl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/His_Beautiful_Girl/gifts).



> HBG, I hope you have the very best of birthdays! You are a blessing to my heart. 
> 
> HBG suggested this prompt on Discord a few months back and I wrote a little drabble for her at the time, and then expanded it a bit for her now.

Veronica surveys the quiet, tiny restaurant. It’s lovely, probably ridiculously expensive, and entirely too much. She didn’t want them to make a fuss for her birthday. But that’s not in Logan’s vocabulary, nor her friends’.

“Can we go back to your house for the surprise party already? I know they’re planning it.”

Sitting next to her, Logan sighs. “Sugar, I keep telling you there’s no—”

“And Dick can’t keep secrets to save his life. I’m positive there’s a party. So let’s go get it over with.”

“If there was an alleged party, wouldn’t I have to keep you out of the house long enough for them to get everything set up?” He taps his fingers on the white tablecloth. “And wouldn’t you want to enjoy this time together, just the two of us, before we were hypothetically surprised with company for the rest of the evening?”

“When you put it that way…” She trails off and looks at the menu. “It’s just...I thought we’d grab a burger and go to the beach.”

Logan shoots her a look of disdain. “We’ve done that tons of times this summer. That’s not special. Birthdays are supposed to be special.”

“Yeah, but—”

“I was going to wait until after dinner but clearly you need presents now.”

“Oh.” She can’t keep the note of pleasure out of her voice. “Presents?”

“Close your eyes and hold out your hands.”

Veronica complies, then hears the telltale snap of a jewelry box. Her eyes fly open. 

“Logan—”

“Chill out, Peaches. It’s not like that.” He shakes his head, smiles wide at her, and she can’t see what’s hidden in his giant hands. “No peeking.”

“But—”

“It’s not expensive or sentimental. Now close your eyes.”

She doubts both of those statements very much but wills her eyelids to drop anyway, taking deep, fortifying breaths. 

A cool, tiny ring drops into her waiting palms. Her fingers close around it, feeling it. It’s not smooth but she doesn’t feel any gemstones, either, so that’s a start. 

“Can I open my eyes now?”

“Go for it.”

The silver band is simple, adorned with a design Veronica has never seen before. Two hands clasp a heart between them, a tiny crown topping the heart. 

“What is it?”

Logan’s eyes twinkle, clearly enjoying knowing something she doesn’t. 

“It’s an Irish claddagh ring.” While she inspects it, his long fingers point out the different aspects, unwilling to meet her gaze. “The hands represent friendship, the heart means love, and the crown stands for loyalty.”

_Not sentimental. Sure, Logan._

He clears his throat. “The way you wear it has meaning, too.”

“Oh? How so?”

Logan takes the ring from her fingers and clasps her right hand. 

“So if you wear it on this hand, with the point of the heart out, it means you’re single, looking for love.” He solemnly shakes his head. 

“But if you wear it with the heart pointed back towards your wrist,” he slowly slides the ring onto her middle finger as he speaks, “it means you’re taken.”

His eyes bore into hers, full of promise. 

Veronica holds out her hand in front of her, eyeing it critically. She wiggles her fingers, makes a big production of stretching them and shaking them, testing things out to give Logan a moment before making her assessment. 

“It’s really cool and different. Suits us. I love it.”

His crooked smile spreads across his face before she kisses him quickly. 

“Thank you for the birthday present. And for dinner.” She waves at the restaurant around them. 

“We haven’t eaten yet.”

“I know. But I might forget to thank you after, when I remember we have to go to the surprise party.”

“Yeah, sorry about that. It was actually Dick’s idea and no one could talk him out of it.”

Veronica laughs in spite of her views on the subject. Once Dick gets something in his mind, nothing can dissuade him. 

“So.” Logan fidgets with the white cloth napkin wrapping the silverware, not meeting her eyes. “Are you sure Hearst is what you want? You’re not...settling?”

“Logan, for the last time.” Trying to stay patient, she takes a deep breath. She doesn’t want to fight with him tonight. “I don’t want to go to Stanford.”

“But you always said, growing up—”

“I also said I wanted to marry Joshua Jackson.” She rolls her eyes. “It’s okay for dreams to change.”

“He’s actually a nice guy,” Logan murmurs, still staring at his hands. “I can call him, if you want, see if I can set something up.”

“I’m taken, remember?” Waving her fingers in his face, she displays her new ring until he grabs her hand and kisses it. 

“I know. I just wanted to make sure.”

“I’m sure. I don’t want to get out of Neptune so badly anymore. All my family’s here.”

Logan meets her eyes finally, his gaze intense. 

“Not that I’m opposed to travel,” Veronica rushes to explain. “Or even a semester abroad. And after college, who knows? The world is our oyster. But until then…” 

Trailing off, she interlocks their fingers and squeezes. 

“I’m really, truly where I want to be. Except for the whole surprise party thing. Can we ditch?”

“And disappoint all the people you stuck around for?” Logan raises an eyebrow but squeezes back so she knows he’s okay. “I don’t think so.” 

“Well, if we have to go,” she gives him a coy smile, “what if we give them the kind of show they’re always complaining about? No nudity but enough to really gross them out.”

He sputters. “Not the first surprise party we’ve entered that way. I like how you think, Bobcat.”

His slow grin warms her. “I know you do. And it’s not that much of an exaggeration. Your house is always full of people these days.”

“I know you like your space, Veronica. That’s why you have your own room.”

She’s still not sure how she feels about this development. Shockingly, Logan hasn’t pressured her to move in with him. Merely put a house key on her key ring and presented her with a bedroom, next to his. Ignoring her protests that it was unnecessary, he proceeded to buy a soothing grey comforter for the queen-sized bed and an ergonomic chair for the desk, putting all other study spots to shame. He hasn’t pushed, just insists it’s hers if she ever needs it. 

“Even with your current roommate situation, my dad would freak.”

“He doesn’t think Weevil, Jackie, and Alex make good enough chaperones?” 

Veronica rolls her eyes. “Alex, maybe. Not the other two. Have you figured out what’s going on with them anyway?”

“‘It’s complicated,’ was the last thing I heard. Oh, and, ‘fuck off.’”

“This ‘will-they-won’t-they’ thing is getting old,” she huffs. 

Logan raises a sarcastic brow, pins her with his stare. “I can’t imagine what that’s like.”

Snorting her response, she shifts the subject into safer waters. “How do you feel, being surrounded by people all the time, anyway?” 

“You know, I thought it might be weird but it’s good,” Logan muses, taking a sip from his water glass. “The house is pretty big, too, so that helps. I can hide when it’s overwhelming.” 

“You seem...content.” It’s true. After everything he’s been through, Logan’s healthy outlook is hard-won and she couldn’t be prouder of him. 

“I am.” His crooked grin spreads across his face and she knows it’s true. “I hope you have a nice birthday, Veronica. And pretend to be surprised about the party, okay?”

“Only for you.” Impulsively, she leans across the table and drops a kiss on his lips. 

If it means she gets to see him look so deliriously happy, she should let him shower her with jewelry and fancy dinners more often. Definitely worth sticking around Neptune for. Even if there are surprise parties in her near future. 

“Hey, Logan?”

He meets her gaze, his eyes warm with affection. 

“Thanks for the ring.” She runs her thumb over it, caressing the heart. “It’s perfect.”

 _You’re perfect,_ she doesn’t say out loud. He probably knows, anyway. 

  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to my favorite partner in crime, MB, for still loving this universe we created and saying yes to co-writing. And thank you Chika for the quick beta!


End file.
